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ious. By November, 1914, the Russians had again reached the outskirts of Cracow. Germany saw she must do something now to save Austria before she herself conquered France. Austria had become too weak to hold her territory. Her troops had to have their courage stiffened by the aid of German soldiers. The Germans now reversed their plan and decided to hold the west front, but not to undertake to break THE GERMANS it, while they sent most of their men CHANGE PLANS to the east front to save Austria and crush Russia. All the soldiers that could be spared from the west front were sent against the Czar's troops.

Thus the Austrians and Germans together with an army of two million men and 1,500 heavy guns attacked the Russians. General von Mackensen came from Germany to lead them. The Russians had fought a magnificent campaign and had been at every point victorious over Austria, but now their ammunition failed them when it was most needed. It has been found in this war that no army can win a battle without its artillery, for rifles will not hold their own against cannon.

In May, 1915, Von Mackensen struck the Russian front in West Galicia with such a massing of artillery as had not been seen before. He shattered the Russian line and took 30,000 prisoners. The Russians resisted stubbornly in battle after battle, but they were outnumbered and, being without shells, they gradually had to give ground. They yielded Przemysl and retired to Lemberg. Presently they lost Lemberg and a week later Von Mackensen began his drive into Russian territory.

The German armies under Von Hindenberg on the

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north and Von Mackensen on the south on a nine FALL OF hundred mile front were now fighting for WARSAW Warsaw. In August, 1915, Warsaw fell to the Germans and the province of Russian Poland was lost and a great retreat began.

The Russian line, 300 miles long, was swept back across Russian Poland toward Moscow. An area 230 miles wide, three times as large as the state of New York, was made desolate. The homes and buildings were burned and tens of thousands of people starved. All along the roads was the proof of the terrible suffering. Broken vehicles, old clothing, baby carriages and small human bones, the larger ones having been gathered by the Germans for fertilizer.

Grand Duke Nicholas without ammunition performed a wonderful feat in saving his army. It was the Russian army that the Germans desired to capture rather than any particular province or fort. They came near taking a great army when they captured Warsaw, but Nicholas by hard fighting saved both his army and artillery and moved eastward. The German advance at last was stopped, and they were not able to go farther.

They had won territory but they had failed in capturing the Russian armies. Grand Duke Nicholas was relieved of his command of the Russian forces at this time because he was thought to be too cautious. Germany had failed to crush Russia as she had failed to crush France. And yet, while Germany had not captured the Russian army, she had taken the province of Poland from Russia and had taken some of the most powerful fortresses in the world. In spite of the escape of the main forces of the army, it was said Germany had taken over a

million prisoners, and the Kaiser believed that Russia was out of the fighting.

Large bodies of German troops were then sent under Von Mackensen to overwhelm Serbia and open up railroad lines to the Turks at Constantinople.

ITALY ENTERS

After remaining neutral nearly ten months Italy declared war on Austria in May, 1915. Italian statesmen said that Austria was aimTHE WAR (1915) ing to extend her possessions to the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Italy was ambitious to control that shore. Then, too, there are a number of provinces of Austria whose populations are mainly Italians and Italy thought these people should be allowed to live under their own flag. Moreover, Italy charged Austria with provoking the war with the intention of seizing Serbia, and this was a menace to the peace and the balance of power in the Balkans in which Italy was interested.

Since Austria was unwilling to accept the Italian demands as to adjustment of territory, war was declared and 1,000,000 Italian soldiers went to the front. Italy had a hard problem to protect her frontier. Austria held the mountains and the sources of several rivers which flowed down into Italian territory. It was these mountain strongholds that the Italians would be forced to take to make any progress against their enemy. Italy's progress into Austrian territory was slow and costly. Her aim was to capture the Austrian port of Trieste and thus secure for herself the commanding positions on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea.

CHAPTER XI

THE DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN

In February, 1915, the Allies decided to attack the Dardanelles. This strait leading to Constantinople had been captured in 1807, but since that time the old fortifications had been replaced by the most modern defensive works. Expert German advisers had directed the emplacement of strong batteries to command the approach by land and sea. There were 14-inch Krupp guns placed so they could be trained on the fleet of an enemy.

The British knew that to attempt to capture the Dardanelles was a hazardous undertaking, but should they succeed, the reward would be great. If the Allies could get through the straits with a fleet Constantinople would fall and Turkey would be eliminated from the conflict, because her country would be cut in two. If Constantinople were taken the Turkish attacks on Persia and Egypt would be stopped, and if the straits were opened Russia would find a free outlet for her great stores of wheat and a chance to receive the ammunition which she needed very sorely and which could be furnished her as fast as the, factories of the Allies and neutral nations could turn it out.

Then the moral effect of the capture of Constantinople would be tremendous. It would put new life and hope into the soldiers of France, Russia and Great Britain and would encourage Italy to join the winning side. It would also, perhaps, bring the other

Balkan nations into the war on the side of the Allies. Greece and Roumania were wavering and needed a decisive victory to show them where to stand. Bulgaria, it was known, was inclined to join the Central Powers but should the Allies capture Constantinople, she might change her mind.

So, with all this at stake, the British sent a powerful fleet to attack the forts of the Dardanelles. There BRITISH FLEET were thirteen British battle ATTACKS THE STRAITS ships, including the superdreadnaught "Queen Elizabeth" with her eight 15-inch guns. There were many others of the most wonderful warships afloat. In all there were nearly seventy 12-inch guns and a greater number slightly smaller.

The first task of the Anglo-French fleet was to reduce the outer forts of the strait. The entrance to the Dardanelles was about two and three-eighths miles wide and was defended by certain forts on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula. In February, 1915, the fleet began a heavy bombardment of the forts. The batteries on shore were enormously outnumbered and outranged by the guns of the battleships. The "Queen Elizabeth" stood safe out of range of the land guns and rained 15-inch shells on the Turkish gunners. The other ships, at a comparatively safe distance but with shorter range, also poured their shells on the fort. Toward evening of February 25 certain of the Allied fleet sailed in close to the fort and by evening the last Turkish gun had been put out of action.

The next day landing parties were sent ashore to blow up the remains of the Turkish forts. But the landing force was surprised by Turkish troops and compelled to beat a hasty retreat. However, the big

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